Accordion construction



Jan.23, 1940. c. LINDEBERG ACCORDION CONSTRUCTION INVENTOR. 659m A //V05f/?6.

Filed March 9, 1939 with respect to each other.

relative positions of the reed blocks.

Patented Jan. 23, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Rudolph Wurlitzer Company,

a corporation incinnati, Ohio,

Application March 9, 1939, Serial No. 260,668

7 Claims.

This invention relates to the construction of an accordion, particularly in respect to the arrangement of the bass reed blocks, and their relative position with respect to the treble reed blocks, primarily to permit of reduction in its overall size to provide a more compact instrument.

t is the common practice to mount the bass reed blocks upon the bass valve board so that they extend substantially vertically therefrom into the space surrounded by the bellows, while the treble reed blocks extend downwardly to said space but not into it so that when the bellows are collapsed, there will be no interference between the bass and treble blocks. This requires substantial space in the treble box to accommodate the treble blocks.

This invention resides in the construction and arrangement of the bass reed blocks and their relative position to the treble reed blocks for permitting the latter to extend well into the bellows section, resulting in a more compact in strument capable of more graceful lines due to the shallowness which may be obtained in the treble box and galley.

The principal feature of the invention resides in the mounting and arrangement of the bass reed blocks in respect to the bass valve board in such manner as will take up the minimum of space in the bellows section, and clear the treble reed blocks so as not to interfere therewith. This is accomplished by arranging the larger of the bass blocks substantially parallel with the board and the other blocks at an angle thereto, and Such arrangement will reduce the overall space required therefor and will permit the treble reed blocks to extend a substantial distance into the bellows section when collapsed.

The full nature of the invention will be run derstood from the accompanying drawing and the following description and claims:

Fig. 1 is a horizontal section through the accordion with parts removed and illustrating the Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the bass valve board showing the required valves associated therewith. Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

In the drawing there is illustrated a section of an accordion comprising a treble box It over which a gallery I! extends, terminating in the usual key bed l2 having the treble keys l3 mounted thereon. Secured to the treble box I there bellows I 5.

posite side of the bellows section from the treble box and has mounted therein a valve board I71 separating the reed compartment or wind chest IS from the valve compartment iii.

For purposes of illustration, the valve com- 5 partment is shown with the usual bass valve operating buttons 29 extending through apertures formed in one wall thereof, which are adapted to be connected in the usual manner. not shown. with. the valve operating rods 2! and 22. lnasmuc-l'i as the valve control mechanism is well known in the art and forms no part of this invention, it is eliminated from the drawing. The valve board i! is provided with the usual ports and 24 controlled by the valves 25 and 25, respectively, which in turn are actuated through the usual arms '27! by the rods 21' and 22. said valves being normally maintained in closed position by the springs 28.

In the treble box there is provided tr valve board 25: having ports 3R communicating with the chambers of the respective treble reed blocks 31 depending therefrom and extending well into the bellows compartment. The ports Eli are controlled by the usual valves, not shown, 25 which in turn are actuated by the keys t3.

Mounted upon the bass valve board it there is a pair of companion bass reed blocks '32 and 33 connected in common with the ports 2 con trolled by valves 26. A similar pair of tenor 3 reed blocks 34 and 85 are associated together and connected in common with the ports 23 controlled by the valves 25.

The bass reed block 32 lines horizontally upon and extends substantially parallel with the valve 35 board l7. One side wall of the reed block cornprises the valve board, and the closed end thereof lies adjacent the side wall of the box iii. The upper side of the reed block is provided with the usual slots indicated at 33 over which the reeds 3''! are mounted. The companion bass block 33 is supported adjacent block so as to be in communication therewith and their common ports 24, and extends at an angle thereto slightly into the bellows section. This block is positioned at such an angle as not to interfere with the reeds of the block 32 and at the same time avoid interfering with the downwardly extending treble reed block 3!. It likewise is provided with the usual slots 35; and reeds 3 d.

Thus, the two companion bass blocks 32 and 33 are jointly controlled by the valves 26, but are so arranged as not to interfere with the downward projection of the treble reed blocks.

The tenor reed blocks 34 and 35, being shorter than the bass blocks, are set at only a slight angle, since they are not long enough to interfere with the downward projection of the treble block 3 However, they are arranged at a slight angle to avoid interference between the reeds of adjacent blocks 33 and 34, and are jointly controlled by the valves 25 through the common ports 23.

From the foregoing it will be noted that the longer of the bass reed blocks is disposed laterally so as not to extend into the bellows section, while the shorter thereof is mounted at an angle to avoid interference with the treble blocks, both associated bass blocks being controlled by common valves. Thus, the treble blocks are permitted to extend a substantial distance within the bellows section, which results in a reduction in width of the treble box. This permits of a more compact instrument with a shallow gallery of improved The invention claimed is:

1. In an accordion, a valve board having a series of valve controlled ports therein, a reed block mounted upon and having one wall thereof comprising said valve board, a reed carrying wall spaced therefrom and provided with a series of slots, a series of reeds associated with said slots, and a plurality of partitions extending between said valve board and reed carrying wall to form separate air chambers, each of said chambers being in communication with one of said ports.

2. In an accordion, a wind chest having a valve board provided with a series of valve controlled ports, a reed block comprising a corresponding series of air chambers communicating with said ports respectively, one wall of said reed block comprising said valve board, an opposite slotted wall supported in spaced relation and extending substantially parallel thereto, and a series of reeds supported by said last-mentioned wall in operative association with said slots.

3. In an accordion, a box having a ported valve board mounted therein for separating said box into a wind chest on one side of said board and a valve chamber on the other side thereof, a series of valves in said valve chamber for controlling said ports, a double reed block mounted on the other side of said board provided with air chambers in common communication with said ports and extending into said wind chest, said double reed block having one series of chambers extending substantially parallel with said valve board and with said board forming one wall thereof, a second set of chambers having their confining walls extending at an angle to said valve board, and a series of reeds associated with the respective chambers, said second set of chambers extending at such an angle with respect to the first set of chambers as to freely permit vibration of said reeds and the passage of air thereby.

4. In an accordion, a box having a ported valve board mounted therein for separating said box into a wind chest and a valve chamber, a series of valves associated with said board in said valve chamber for controlling said ports, a double reed block mounted on the other side of said board and having a series of air chambers in common communication with said ports and extending into said wind chest, said double reed block being V-shaped in cross section, one of said blocks extending substantially parallel with the valve board, which board comprises one wall thereof and the other block extending at an angle to the first block and to said valve board, and a series of reeds mounted on one wall of each of said blocks in operative association with their respective air chambers and communicating ports respectively, the reeds of the firstmentioned block being mounted on the wall thereof toward the second-mentioned block with the adjacent wall of the second-mentioned block spaced from said reeds to permit freedom of action and air flow thereby.

' 5. In an accordion, a wind chest comprising a bellows section, a treble box section and a bass box section, a plurality of treble reed blocks extending from said treble box section a substantial distance into said bellows section when the bellows thereof are collapsed, a bass valve board in the bass box section having a series of valve controlled ports therein, a double bass reed block mounted on said board and extending into the wind chest toward the treble blocks, said respective bass reed blocks having a series of air chambers with the corresponding chambers in communication with each other and with one of said ports, one of said blocks extending substantially parallel with the valve board with said board comprising one wall thereof, the other reed block extending at an angle thereto into said bellows section to one side of the treble block, a series of reeds mounted on the opposite wall of the first-mentioned block from the valve board, and a series of reeds on the far side wall of the second-mentioned block.

6. In an accordion, a wind chest comprising a bellows section, a treble box section and a bass box section, a plurality of treble reed blocks extending from said treble box section a substantial distance into said bellows section when the bellows thereof are collapsed, a bass valve board in the bass box section having a series of valve controlled ports therein, and bass reed blocks mounted on said board at an angle thereto and angularly extending toward the wind chest and treble blocks, one of said treble and bass blocks having overlapping ends when the bellows are collapsed and arranged at such relative angles as to extend to one side of each other so as to avoid interference therebetween and permit both sets of blocks to be encompassed in a minimum of space.

7. In an accordion, a wind chest comprising a bellows section, a treble box section and a bass box section, a plurality of treble reed blocks extending from said treble box section a substantial distance into said bellows section when the bellows thereof are collapsed, a bass valve board in the bass box section having a series of valve controlled ports therein, and a plurality of double bass reed blocks mounted on said board and extending into the wind chest toward the treble blocks, said reed blocks extending at an angle to each other and at least one thereof overlapping one of the treble reed blocks and extending angularly to one side thereof to permit nesting of the treble and bass reed blocks so as to avoid interference with each other in a minimum of space when the bellows are collapsed.

CARL LINDEBERG. 

